A Study in Coat - Finished

[jessamygriffith]

Though these are only my iPhone pics and not anything orgasmically GQ, the coat is done. Okay well, I must put in the sleeve linings but I can do that at school tmrw. Free time, whee.

First I must bitch about the sleeves. The original drafted ones were shapely but too narrow - I would never have got a suit jacket into them. I recut a test sleeve (revamped the cuff to something so simple I think I must have been an idiot when I made the first draft). They are lovely, roomy. I set them. One is puffy in the shoulder. They are bunching weird in the armpit. I LOATHE THEM with the poisonous hatred of a thousand hissing radioactive spiders.

"Fuck," says I. But this project is charmed. Why, you say? Must be some Sherlock magic, like he's standing there and saying, 'You're an idiot, but you can do better.'

I agree, Normally a 'real' sewing project for something of this magnitude involves a trifecta culled from the following:

a) Frustration
b) bleeding (makes the gods happy, oils the sewing machines of Satan.)
c) Tears.
d) Throwing the project across the room. I did this once to a commissioned piece and I sulked, It stayed there two weeks.
e) holes in fabric from tearing/ accidental cuts/ ripping things out over and over

I had heaps of frustration but all in all, learned tons. I would definitely use some of these techniques in tailoring again. And I understand completely about how the underlying architecture of a garment makes it look so much better.

I ripped those damned sleeves out and tried again, recutting the armscythe. And hey presto, it worked, I stuffed in the shoulder pads and Bob's my uncle.

You are spared the pics of me fighting the sleeves and instead get a tip for perfect pleats. Do a huge ugly stitch down the pleat to hold it in place, the steam and press the garment with your wooden clapper. Hammer the wool with the clapper if it's really thick.

And now the finished pics, not really nice, but with the Sherlock ones to compare.






That's it folks. The Coat.
Originally by Belstaff for Sherlock BBC. Copied by me.

And yes, it's not as big in the chest as Benny's because, fuck it, I don't want to SWIM in it.
Houndstooth wool, plastic buttons and all materials bought respectively in Nippori Fabric District, Tokyo, and Okadaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Notions from Yuzawaya in Yokohama.

Now I can be tortured by not having The Scarf.

Comments

[k95mee.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised - your seamstress skills are as stunning as your writing skills. Well done on a lovely job, there.

[pargoletta.livejournal.com]

Hooray! Mazel tov! You did a really nice job. Wear it in good health.

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

AWESOME!

We need a pic with you in it, tho' :D

Don't worry about the scarf - it changes anyway, so any nice blue scarf will be fine :-)

Gorgeous...

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Congrats on a great job, eventually I'll be making one, it's nice to see someone obsess on details like I do. And hopefully you can get season two scarf.

[swissmarg]

That's absolutely amazing! You just... made it up? From pictures? From screenshots? I can't even... How long did it take you to do? And just out of curiosity, how much did the materials cost?

Re: Test coat

[feikoi.livejournal.com]

MINE ALL MINE
MUAHAHAHAHAHA-*coughs*

(i think the kids got me sick this week, ugh. cap never got finished, so cas will be next to you saturday in a much cheaper suit/coat, comparatively :P)

[lafleurdusoleil.livejournal.com]

This is so cool! Congratulations on your talent! =D

[a_blackpanther]

This is so amazing. I'm really jealous because I WANT that coat and I definitely do not have your sewing skills.

[mildly-neurotic.livejournal.com]

It really came out amazing. I'm glad the redo of the sleeves sorted out well. Bravo on a job well done!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

GOD BLESS YOU.

I just today decided to try cosplaying (well, cosplaying via Rule 63) Sherlock at an SF con this summer. You are a lifesaver. A very timely lifesaver.

[spikestress.livejournal.com]

I have sent several friends to this journal to see this amazing coat. I KNEW I should have taken sewing in school instead of shop!

Lovely lovely lovely.

[mawaridi.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, you are extraordinary. Wonderful work!

[ladyuranus.livejournal.com]

This is tremendous, as is your post about how you drafted the pattern.

The fangirl in me really, really wants this coat. But I live in LA and would need some adjustments in the bust area, so I doubt it will become a reality. I'm considering modding this pattern to help me along: http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/102011-ankle-length-double-breasted-wool-coat

Maybe the coat will happen. I have some awesome buttons for it, at least.

[myfieldnotes.livejournal.com]

This is amazing. The work you put into it shows in every detail. The pleats. Oh the pleats! Your attention to detail and the way it drapes perfectly. Wonderful stuff to just even look at in the picture.

[kitamurin.livejournal.com]

Dropping by via tumblr just to say this is really, really impressive- well done!

[mandyslupin.livejournal.com]

By God, you're brilliant - I can't imagine possessing the skills to make something like this from scratch. Bravo.

Also, Japan? EEK! I didn't think I'd EVER find someone else in the fandom who was an English speaker living here as well. This has made me very pleased, very pleased indeed.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Hi! Me, again! I'm slogging along on my own version of The Coat* and have gotten to the point where I'm ready to make my first mock-up. I can't tell from your notes or photos of the original--is either fully lined, all the way to the hem? Or does the lining stop at the waist? Is there no interior lining past the facing (I can't imagine this, but...)?

Thanks!

*I made my Watson's coat first and it looks faboo!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm not as happy with it as I would have liked to be, but here's what I wound up with (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chernobylred/7449193584/in/photostream/) if you're interested in seeing my version of the coat.

[cumberbitched.livejournal.com]

The coal looks entirely epic. I am going to dare and make it myself, but I have a question. How many yards of fabric did you use for the whole coat?

[akiraniu.livejournal.com]

really cool one*_* i know you've spend huge plenty of hours and powers to create this amazing coat but, if at once you want to sell it i'll be very hapiness to buy it,bcs i never can do something in this so beatifull and accurate style.)))